The Next Step
by Ayumu Foxtail-chan
Summary: Piplup had just about reached the end of his rope when it came to those two. They liked each other... so why in the world wouldn't they just fess up to it already? Perhaps he'd have to take matters into his own hands. ―Ikarishipping


**Hello there! It took me a while to come around to the idea of Ikarishipping... but now I have to admit I'm a sucker for it. ;P**

**This is also my first shot at the pairing so I'm crossing my fingers it turned out alright. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy! :D**

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**_The Next Step_**

Piplup considered himself to be a very patient Pokémon. He knew he could be a little eccentric at times and maybe a bit of handful, but he was… at least a little patient. He was working on it, anyway. Even so, he was absolutely positive his trainer was going to drive him insane.

He loved her dearly but she was… dense sometimes. Especially when it came to the incredibly rude trainer named Paul. Piplup hadn't ever liked Paul. He mistreated Pokémon, he snapped at everyone around him even if they were trying to help, and in general, just made life incredibly dreary if you stayed around him for any extended period of time.

That's how Piplup had felt about him. However, after Paul had been beaten by Ash, and went off on some sort of emotional journey, he'd come back… as a little less of a jerk-face. Don't get him wrong, he was still rude as ever but he wasn't the same Paul who had pushed Chimchar nearly to his breaking point.

Piplup hadn't seen Paul in a long time. The water type and Dawn had traveled to a few regions, training and battling in contests. She'd grown immensely and he was very proud to say she was his trainer. He'd grown too. Still refusing to evolve but able to use much more powerful and controlled moves now. He was her ace in the hole.

It'd been a while since he'd seen Sinnoh, but after a while, Dawn had decided to go back and try again for the Grand Festival Cup. It was there, along one of the routes, that they met Paul again. He was camped for the night, his Pokémon team –now looking much more powerful- sleeping around the campfire.

Piplup had rolled his eyes when Dawn happily called out Paul's name and waved, prancing over to the campsite. The water Pokémon would've been just as happy to have walked right past Paul, pretending he hadn't seen him and continuing on to the next city and the next ribbon. But that wasn't who Dawn was. She'd call out to anyone, even her worst enemy, with a smile on her face.

Paul had looked up, his eyes widening ever-so-slightly in surprise.

That'd been the beginning of it all.

Dawn and Paul had chatted a bit while Piplup had listened, watching Paul's team of Pokémon carefully. They looked happy enough. They were all out of their balls too, which wasn't a common sight with Paul.

Dawn explained about her adventures in the other regions and Paul explained his. He'd gone and challenged other Leagues in the time that'd passed. He'd beaten Kanto and Johto, and had come close in both Hoenn and Unova. He had his eyes set on Kalos, but had decided to stop back by Sinnoh on his way, maybe battle a few Gyms for old time's sake.

Piplup found it interesting. Dawn and Paul had both been to the exact same regions, at nearly the exact same times. Dawn told her story of getting her ribbon in Olivine City, and Paul had said he'd been passing through on that exact same day.

As they continued to share stories and dates they came across more times than they could count on both hands when they'd been in the exact same place at the exact same time, but had just missed each other. It was a little freaky how many times it'd happened.

Piplup noticed the difference in Paul then. He talked with Dawn as if she was a normal human being. He didn't roll his eyes, he didn't make snide comments, he didn't do any of the normal Paul-like things. Sure, he still talked a little harshly and had a stiff persona, but he was… changed.

Dawn apparently had noticed the difference as well. She was kind to him, not that she wouldn't have been even if he hadn't have changed, but in a friend type of way. He even invited them to use his fire and Dawn actually took him up on his offer.

Piplup had had no idea that because of that one little chat and that one little encounter that his traveling life would be turned upside down.

The next morning it turned out Paul and Dawn were both headed to Eterna City, and so they decided to travel together.

Piplup listened carefully from Dawn's arms. The two trainers continued their conversation from the past night, sharing everything from battle specifics to the Grand Festival to Paul challenging the Elite Four, to what they missed most about Sinnoh.

Paul _did_ happen to roll his eyes when Dawn mentioned that she missed traveling with Brock and Ash but it wasn't in the normal snarky Paul way. More as if he was slightly amused, and also looked back on those memories from time to time, although he didn't want to admit it.

By the time they'd made it to Eterna, they'd already hatched a plan. Eterna was Paul's last Gym he wanted to stop by, and was Dawn's fifth ribbon. She'd already missed the Grand Festival and didn't want to hang around for another entire year to wait for the next, and Paul had no intentions of challenging the Sinnoh League.

However, they'd both set their sights for Kalos next. And by some random act of whim, Dawn suggested they go together. And then by the grace of Arceus, Paul accepted.

That's when everything began to change.

Dawn and Paul did in fact travel to Kalos together; not only that but they began traveling around the region together, too. If someone would've told Piplup that the arrogant plum-haired jerk he'd grown to hate would somehow have turned into a decent human being and be traveling with him and his Dawn… he would've thought they'd lost their marbles. But here they were, in the newest discovered region, battling, eating, and sleeping together.

It was insane, but it'd happened.

And as the adaptive Pokémon Piplup was, he grew to like Paul quickly. Sure, he was still a little awkward at times when it came to conversing with people, and sure, he still had those sharp, piercing eyes that sent a chill down Piplup's spine when he looked in his direction, but he was actually pretty nice. He treated his Pokémon with respect and care, and even gave Piplup a little pat on the head at times. Which was incredibly weird at first, but eventually the penguin Pokémon grew to enjoy it.

And if his relationship with Paul was progressing, it was only natural that Dawn's relationship was as well. After all, whenever one spends all twenty-four hours of every day with another person, things begin to change.

Yes, Dawn and Paul had the hots for each other. And they were so oblivious that they had no idea how the other felt.

Piplup considered himself to be a patient Pokémon but it was really getting on his nerves. Their constant flirting was hard to see if you didn't know them, but for someone like Piplup, he recognized it instantly. And then in turn recognized that neither one had the courage to take it to the next level.

At first he thought he could deal with it. Big deal if Dawn giggled a little more than usual and Paul walked on the side of the road closest to the cars so she wouldn't get splashed by water. Big deal if she teased him and called him names to get a reaction and he bought her little trinkets when they went into shops. What was the big deal?

There wasn't one. But after a while, Piplup just wanted to yell at them to kiss and get it over with already.

The thought of his Dawn with a boy like Paul wasn't exactly the most welcome of ideas. However, the more he watched the two of them interact, flirt, converse, he realized that Dawn was actually happy. Not that she wasn't happy before, just in a different way. Not how she was happy with Brock and Ash, not how she was happy with friends, not even how she was happy with her Pokémon… It was different, and although Piplup's heart ached a bit when he thought of her dating someone like Paul, even if he _had _changed, he wanted Dawn to be happy more than anything. Even if it meant supporting her in a relationship.

A relationship that wasn't happening because Dawn and Paul were probably as dense as a half-mile thick wall of bricks.

Piplup sat now, on Dawn's bag, watching his trainer and Paul who were sitting across the boat on a small bench. They had caught the last ferry of the day and were going to… Piplup couldn't remember the city's name, but it was the next Gym for Paul and the next contest for Dawn. It was twilight and not a single other person was on the boat.

They'd been lucky to make it in time. Dawn would've missed her contest in the morning if they would've had to wait another day to catch the boat.

Normally Piplup's mind would be focused on his upcoming battles in the contest, but today… all he could do was fume to himself.

There they were, Dawn giggling and Paul smirking away as they shamelessly flirted with one another on that bench. Dawn smacked his arm and he chuckled. Gross.

Happy couples were usually cute or amusing but Dawn and Paul still were "traveling companions". Ugh.

Piplup seriously wanted to yell at both of them, although he was positive neither one would understand what he was saying. Dawn had always been ditsy but he figured eventually Paul would catch on and ask her out… but he hadn't.

Piplup's eyes narrowed and he huffed to himself as Paul poked fun at Dawn's skirt and she blushed, snapping back at him as he tried not to laugh at her. It was sickening watching those two flirt all day and all night without even realizing it. How oblivious were they?

Piplup was patient… he was… sort of, but this was seriously pushing him to his breaking point. No, he wasn't keen on the idea of Dawn dating Paul but good Arceus they obviously liked one another. Just get it over with. Why wouldn't they start dating and put everyone out of their misery already?

Piplup was probably the only one in misery, basically because he was the only one forced to sit and watch their sickeningly cute little taunts toward one another day after day.

But now… maybe it was because it was so quiet out on the water so he could hear Dawn's giggles even better, or maybe it was because they were in a new region and Piplup had thought for sure that once they were out of Sinnoh one of them had to catch on… he didn't know but whatever it was, he'd hit his breaking point.

And as Dawn playfully tugged on Paul's hair, Piplup couldn't stand it anymore, letting out a frustrated sigh before hopping to his feet and waddling over to them as quickly as he could.

He stared up at them, Dawn and Paul both so engrossed in each other that neither one noticed his presence.

Yes, this had to be done. These two had to confront their "feelings" toward one another or Piplup would lose his mind. He shrugged, steeling himself and mentally saying a farewell to Dawn and Paul being just friends.

And he jumped, just high enough to firmly plant a flipper onto each of their heads. Yelling out a defiant, "Piplup!" he smacked both of them toward one another, their heads conking together painfully, but ultimately landing how Piplup had intended: their lips pressed against the other's.

Piplup landed with grace, dusting himself off pridefully as he watched both of the humans' faces become a very hot shade of pink. He turned on his heel, puffing out his chest and stalking back over to sit on Dawn's bag.

All they needed was a nudge in the right direction. And as Dawn and Paul pulled apart from the forced kiss, both of them spluttering incoherent words, Piplup was positive he wouldn't have to deal with watching those two oblivious nuts trying to pretend like they didn't want a relationship with the other, anymore.

How they would have ever survived without him, Piplup didn't know.

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_The Sinnoh League Challenge- route 201 part 3 - write about a farewell - include the starter you picked_

**Piplup totally ships it. XP I love Piplup. He was my favorite Pokemon in the anime right next to Pikachu. **

**I hope I didn't butcher this pairing. *crosses fingers* XD I'd love to know what you thought of it! I always love me some feedback. I also hope people still ship this since the anime is so far along now... I can't be the only one still shipping this right? XD Anyway, I hope you liked it! :D**

**~Foxtail-chan**


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